


Halloween Sweet Sixteen

by merry_amelie



Series: Academic Arcadia [284]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Reality, M/M, Romance, jinnobi challenge 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 04:58:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16381871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_amelie/pseuds/merry_amelie
Summary: Our guys attend a Halloween banquet at the Sunset Tower.





	Halloween Sweet Sixteen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [picavenger14](https://archiveofourown.org/users/picavenger14/gifts).



> Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com (or leave a comment).
> 
> Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
> 
> For  
> My beta Helen   
> Laura McEwan for posting to the Master Apprentice ML  
> Travis for posting to the Master Apprentice Archive on AO3   
> Alex for inspiring Arcadia 
> 
> Halloween Arcadias:  
> 2003 -- [Masquerade](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1416970)  
> 2004 -- [Hallowe'en Kata](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1798078)  
> 2005 -- [Happy Tatooween](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4494276)  
> 2006 -- [Happy Tatooween, Take Two: Undercovers](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4494279)  
> 2007 -- [A Jedi Halloween](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4140561)  
> 2008 -- [Jedi Trick or Treat](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4209189)  
> 2009 -- [Return of the Jedi Halloween](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4276158)  
> 2010 -- [A Little Halloween Diplomacy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4359473)  
> 2011 -- [Hallowed Light](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4388372)  
> 2012 -- [Halloween on the Go](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4397036)  
> 2013 -- [A Neighborly Halloween](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4397105)  
> 2013 -- [Halloween Treats for Grown-ups](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4397111)  
> 2014 -- [Groomed for Halloween](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2573033)  
> 2015 -- [Oh, Whistle and I'll Come into You, My Lad](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5100686)  
> 2016 -- [A Caffeinated Halloween ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8408710)  
> 2017 -- [A Spooky Oktoberfest](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12442347)
> 
> For the [jinnobi challenge 2018](https://infinitejedilove.tumblr.com/tagged/jinnobi-challenge-2018) by [InfiniteJediLove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfiniteJediLove/pseuds/InfiniteJediLove)

The evening of Halloween Wednesday began with a surprise.

Just as the professors were about to head out into the moonlight, Quinn paused before opening the door. He waved his hand like a magician performing a trick -- or a Jedi performing a mind trick -- and took an unwrapped Perugina Baci from behind Ian's ear, where his Padawan braid would be. But Ian's enchanting grin was more magical to Quinn than the trick by far.

"A wee treat for me wee laddie." With an indulgent smile, Quinn hand-fed the dark-chocolate-hazelnut Baci to his husband, loving the feel of the tip of Ian's tongue gliding over his fingertips.

"Feels like Valentine's Day," Ian purred, licking his lips to give Quinn a treat of his own.

"I've always thought of our Halloweens together that way," rumbled Quinn, "especially come bedtime."

Both of them thought back to the 16 celebrations they'd shared -- truly a Sweet Sixteen -- and remembered their magnificent lovemaking on these magical nights. Basking in the memories, they also shared a kiss infused with a luscious hint of Baci and the even more luscious taste of a couple of besotted Jedi.

The kiss was the highlight of the day so far, even though they'd had their usual holiday treats -- lecturing on H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury to spellbound students; dressing as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan for a kata at the dojo, the Academy of the Light, to the delight of the children and Master Yodama; savoring Prudence's bat brownies and Violet's marshmallow ghosties for an afternoon snack; giving their annual performance of 'Ghosts in the Library', this year dramatizing 'The Mezzotint' by M.R. James.

Their de-facto Padawans, Lelia and Han, had also done a kata that night, which left the men beaming with masterful pride. Quinn could hardly believe they were teenagers since he still thought of them as little kids, easy to do when they were a foot shorter than he.

All of the trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood were home for the night, so they'd closed up shop a few minutes ago. Ian had put the candy away to make sure Quinn wasn't tempted to snack before their fancy meal, but of course, that hadn't stopped his husband from feeding him the Baci.

Now they were off to the Luke charity dance to celebrate Halloween at the Sunset Tower, where they'd meet their friends and colleagues at the grand ballroom. Their $ 200 donation was well-spent, with the money going to a constellation of causes, including the ACLU, the hurricane relief fund, the Alder Run Children's Hospital, and Lambda Legal.

If they could just make it out the door...

With pure Jedi willpower, they managed to disentangle and start out for the hotel. Since it was a costume ball, they were still wearing their Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan coarse-cloth from the exhibition at the dojo. Quinn's hair was almost as long as Master Jinn's because these days he let it grow in autumn and winter to keep him warm. He used the leather tie Ian had gifted him with to keep part of his hair off of his face. Ian's coppery soft spikes always looked like Padawan Kenobi's, especially now that they were long enough for him to sport a Knight's tail. Of course, they wore their Williamsburg boots, which were proving to be as durable through the years as the colonial town itself.

It was only 48 degrees in Alder Run, so they also had on their chocolate-brown cloaks tonight. Quinn cuddled Ian close to him as they headed for the THX, making both of them warmer already. Luckily, they had finished Violet and Prudence's treats hours ago, so they were ready for the banquet.

They got to the Sunset Tower in twelve minutes, just in time for the start of the festivities at 8 o'clock. They went by the cloakroom first, which had a more literal significance than usual for them tonight. The ballroom was decorated for the holiday with streamers of orange and black but also had tablecloths and napkins in the Luke colors of brown and cream, a perfect autumnal blend. The English Department had its own table, as usual, and Case was already waving them over.

"Happy Halloween, my friends," Case said, much more relaxed than he usually was at work. He hugged both of them exuberantly. He was dressed as Captain Picard from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and looked Starfleet spit-and-polish. Billie was dressed as Counselor Troi, both of them beautiful inside and out, and added her own greeting in a melodic voice.

"We've saved your seats," Billie said. "Come and join us."

Case smiled as mischievously as Ian himself. "Make it so." He held the chair next to him for Billie, then sat down with his friends.

Ian gave out a groan at the Picard quote, but the gleam in his eye told Case how much he relished the Star-Trek-inspired wordplay.

Bant, Ethan, and Evan wore the costumes of their Star-Wars namesakes and were seated to the left of Ian and Quinn. All of them exchanged greetings, along with compliments on their outfits.

Bant had already put her headpiece on the carpet near her chair so she could eat and speak with ease. "There better not be any calamari on the menu tonight," she quipped.

This time, the whole table groaned, and Ian was glad he could see Bant's smile. She was next to him so it was easy to chat with her about their courses while they waited for the meal. Her husband Eth talked Skyhawks football with Evan, who was sitting on the other side of him. Ian could hear Quinn discussing Roald Dahl with Billie and Case in the background.

No need for menus tonight: every course was seasonal or holiday-themed, with all of them having the same meal. Their waiter, dressed in a tuxedo Count Dracula would approve of, brought them cups of pumpkin juice, courtesy of the Harry Potter books; seven-grain-harvest rolls waited in their basket, along with honey butter; butternut-squash soup came as the first course.

Before he started eating, Quinn remembered to take some small packages out of his leather satchel for his friends, to a chorus of thanks. Every Halloween, Prudence and Violet made enough cookies for the entire Jedi Order and encouraged the men to share them with their family and friends. He handed out packets of gingerbread witches and shortbread mummies, along with the few bat brownies and marshmallow ghosties that were left after Ian, Lelia, Han, and he had gobbled most of them up.

It was a toss-up whether their friends were more thrilled about the fancy fare in front of them or the baked treats coming home with them. Eth winked at Quinn as he snuck a cookie, even though he'd already begun to eat his soup. Quinn winked back and made a note to himself to tell Violet and Prudence about all of the 'thank yous' and enthusiasm for their gifts.

The soup warmed Ian from the inside out, as did Quinn's lower thigh pressed against his own. As soon as he'd finished it, and saw Quinn had as well, he held out his hand. "Ready to dance?"

Quinn's crinkles came out to play when he smiled at Ian. "Sounds grand."

Just as their meal was a blend of holiday and seasonal treats, so were the songs the band was playing. They waved at their old acquaintances, Dan Figrino and the Mossley Band, as they took to the dance floor near Bant and Eth. They'd last seen Dan and the band at the after-party in the Luke Convention Center for Ian's gymnastics documentary back in April. The musicians currently played 'Science Fiction - Double Feature' from 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', which included a reference to a story they'd dramatized for 'Ghosts in the Library' in 2011: 'Casting the Runes' by M.R. James.

Quinn took Ian in his arms, and they began dancing. The music was nice and slow, and Quinn smiled when his husband nestled into him as they moved. The dance floor was crowded so they stayed in their own little corner near a cauldron of goblin punch, which tasted just like spiced apple cider infused with cranberry juice to them.

"Enjoying yourself tonight, little lad?" asked Quinn as he nuzzled into soft copper strands.

Ian hugged Quinn to him. "Very much, and I can tell you are too by your humming along with the music." He loved to hear Quinn's natural rumbling intensify when he sang or hummed, the wonderful sound of happiness.

"'Tis one of my favorite songs in the movie," Quinn said.

"Along with 'Time Warp', right?" Ian winked at him.

Quinn nodded into soft copper. "You know me so well, m'lad."

When they saw the waiter coming over to their table with the main course, they strolled off the dance floor to go back to their seats. The entree turned out to be slow-cooked boneless ribs in a brandy marinade, with rutabaga ravioli in browned butter and root vegetables on the side. Simply scrumptious! Everyone concentrated on their food for a while as the band played meandering jazz while they ate.

As soon as he put his fork down, Quinn was ready for another dance -- he winked at Ian as their Jedi telepathy kicked in, and both of them got up from the table, right behind Billie and Case. The parquet floor was less crowded now since people were still eating, so they had more room to move. The band chose a perfect song to get folks salivating for the upcoming dessert course: 'Candyman' from 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'. The movie was a favorite of both men; they'd seen it as children and never forgotten its vibrant world. This time, Ian hummed along too as they danced, thinking of the chocolate river that wandered through Wonka's candyland.

Dessert did not disappoint the men when it came, even with their Wonka-sized expectations. It turned out to be a butterscotch-pecan tartlet for each of them, drizzled with melted Ghirardelli dark chocolate and dotted with candy corn. A fitting end to their feast.

"Now that's the way to celebrate Halloween," Quinn said with satisfaction when he'd eaten every last crumb.

The professors chatted a bit longer, all of them reluctant to leave the party just yet, but it was a school night so they reluctantly got ready to go.

"See you at work tomorrow, folks," said Ian, waving to his friends along with Quinn, amid a chorus of goodbyes.

Before they left the hotel, the men decided to go out on the balcony adjoining the ballroom to see the magnificent nighttime view of the countryside and Halloween firmament. The Pleiades star cluster was high in the sky, a scattering of diamonds across the heavens. They stood side by side with their arms around each other, gazing at the spectacular display. Quinn tenderly touched Ian's chin, with his thumb caressing the dimple, to guide his eyes to the perfect position to view the starscape. They stayed there for an endless Moment, enthralled by the beauty above them.

Quinn vividly remembered their first proper date in New Jersey, back in 2003, when they'd gone to see 'The Phantom Menace', and he'd kissed Ian during the scene where Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were watching the sunset on the balcony together.

It gave him ideas that were more delicious than the banquet they'd just savored.

So Quinn took advantage of their new privacy by kissing Ian under the stars. "You've made my Halloween very happy indeed, darlin'," he said.

Soft breath whispered over Ian's cheek. "Just the way I feel," he murmured, snuggling deeper into Quinn's arms.

A burnt-orange leaf from a nearby oak tree fluttered into Ian's hair, and Quinn disentangled it and used it to brush his lad's nose playfully.

"That tickles!" Ian said with a snorted laugh.

"And you tickle my fancy, laddie mine," said Quinn, still living in the Moment of their kiss. "Time to go home."

Their night had started and ended with a kiss -- nothing could be better to celebrate their Halloween Sweet Sixteen.


End file.
